Sacramento @ Phoenix preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 11, 2017 ) Phoenix 104, Sacramento 129

The Phoenix Suns have had a woeful time trying to stop teams from scoring, a scenario that prompted the firing of head coach Earl Watson on Sunday. The Suns hope to reverse that trend under interim head coach Jay Triano when they host the offensively challenged Sacramento Kings on Monday.

Watson finished with a 33-85 mark at the helm in Phoenix and watched his team allow an average of 128.7 points during its 0-3 start, with reports of his dismissal surfacing the day after a 130-88 setback against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Kings might offer a little relief as they finish up a three-game, four-day road trip that included a 96-79 setback at Denver on Saturday. Zach Randolph was the lone Sacramento starter to score in double figures and he finished with only 11 points as the team's first five combined to shoot 10-for-38 from the floor. The Kings won three of four meetings last season against the Suns, whose lone victory came on Devin Booker's game-winning jumper.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Arizona (Phoenix)

ABOUT THE KINGS (1-2): While the starters struggled mightily at Denver, rookie standout De'Aaron Fox made a splash off the bench with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go along with five rebounds in a team-high 29 minutes. "The one thing De'Aaron did when he came in was he was aggressive to the rack and we need him to do that," guard Garrett Temple told the media. "But everybody needs to do that, we can't settle for jumpers. If you have an open shot, take it." Forward Skal Labissiere chipped in 13 points but there were very few other contributions for a team that entered Sunday ranked 29th in the league in scoring (90.7) and last in made free throws per game (8.7).

ABOUT THE SUNS (0-3): Phoenix has been outrebounded by an average of 10.6 - the second-largest number in the league - and opponents are shooting an NBA-high 51.5 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from 3-point range. Guard Eric Bledsoe followed up a 28-point performance in a two-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday with a four-point, four-turnover effort against the Clippers. Rookie Josh Jackson has at least 11 points in his first three games but has yet to shoot better than 40 percent in a game and has one assist in 84 minutes thus far.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kings G Buddy Hield shot 1-of-10 against Denver but had 30 points in a win over Phoenix in April.

2. Suns C Tyson Chandler is averaging 11.5 rebounds while making 8-of-11 shots over his last two games.

3. Sacramento rookie G Bogdan Bogdanovich (ankle) might make his NBA debut Monday.

PREDICTION: Suns 106, Kings 104